A Christmas Carol in Victubia
by ChaosTheDark08
Summary: Since Lady Krism's death, Queen Minx has retreated into herself, becoming bitter and cruel. Can she change her ways before it's too late? I don't own Victubia or A Christmas Carol.
1. Chapter 1: The Death of Lady Krism

Lady Krism was dead.  
There was no doubt whatsoever about that.  
The great city of Victubia had come to a standstill over the news. Shops had shut, families had cried, and the streets had been silenced. Normal life had been put on pause for a few moments, if only for just a few measly minutes, to remember the partner of their Queen with a sense of pride and glory, before returning to their day, with a small amount of sorrow in their hearts.  
At the funeral, there were only three people who turned up, the first of which was the priest, who gave Krism's spirit a blessing, before leaving the funeral to the undertaker, who lowered the coffin into the ground and stood over the sole mourner, Queen Minx, like a sombre shadow draped in black.  
There was a reason none of the citizens attended the funeral of such an important figure in society. Queen Minx and Lady Krism were well known for being strong and correct leaders, which was what Victubia needed in order to survive in the harmony that it currently existed in. However, this left the women with a cold, ruthless streak that would stick in most of the citizen's minds when the news of Lady Krism's death reached them. Many were actually glad that she had died, to let the Queen understand what she had put them through after all of her years in power. The others simply didn't care either way.  
Lady Krism was as dead as a doornail.


	2. Chapter 2: The Visit

Queen Minx still decided to live in the old, decaying castle that used to belong to her partner, Lady Krism, not even bothering to remove her name from the crumbling place of broken memories she now lived in. She had become more withdrawn and bitter, even after seven years had passed, she still simply lay there in what used to be their bed, ruling Victubia with a broken heart and ruthless will, relying on her overworked and underpaid servants to do her bidding.  
The servants, having put up with the Queen's mourning and cruel ways for long enough, one day decided to strike, demanding to be treated with more respect, and to have a raise from the measly pay they were currently getting.  
Minx responded with the most kindness and charity of any soul. She stated that she recognised the hard labour she put them through and for that, there would be a reward of high worth for them.  
When the last wretched traitor was hanged, the Queen made an announcement, about how her servants had committed treason of the highest order, and that death was too light of a punishment for such a crime.  
In fact, she now relied on a sole servant, her former Head of Security at Minx Castle, Lord Markiplier. He had been a trustworthy ally over the years and had fought for her safety for many years. He now not only patrolled the castle for intruders and other unwanted guests, but took care of her paperwork and all of the other boring tasks that came with being a Queen. Not that he complained however. He needed the money.  
On this particular Christmas Eve, there was a rare visitor to the castle. Lord Cryaotic, the masked owner of the Late Night Bar and friend of the Queen. He was something of a legend in Victubia, being one of the most powerful mages in the world, who's power was only rumoured about, along with his appearance. Queen Minx groaned at the sight of him entering, with no doubt of a smirk behind that simple mask of his. He came here every year, to always ask the same thing.  
"You already know what my response will be, so why are you wasting my time in asking?"  
"Well, its only polite to ask. It is Christmas after all. A holiday of happiness and a time to make merry! So indeed, Your Majesty, I invite you once again to dine with me and the rest of the Late Night Crew for Christmas...I believe that you would enjoy it, just as you used to."  
The Queen grumbled as she returned to staring up into the ceiling. Back when Krism was alive, they had gone to the Late Night Bar and had Christmas there with its staff, the Late Night Crew. She was surrounded by friends there, friends who were allowed to drop her title and call her by her normal name.  
But the circumstances had changed.  
Lord Cry sighed and approached her slowly.  
"Minx...you have denied my request for years. You have remained here, locked away in your own thoughts for years. Remember...the invitation is always there if-"  
"Pah! Every fool that goes around with 'Merry Christmas' on his lips should be hung, boiled in his own pudding and buried with a stake of holly through his cold, lifeless heart! You forget your place, Lord Cry, and you are in the presence of royalty! I suggest that it is you who should think about their words, and think well! Or my guard's sword may just...slip." She lightly carved a finger across the mage's neck, feeling him swallow in fear. He turned to Lord Markiplier, who didn't dare meet his eyes. He knew of the cruelty of their leader, and didn't like to see the fear in her victim's eyes when he was forced to...dismember them.  
"You wouldn't dare to. We both know that. Now, at least think about my invite, otherwise I may be forced to come in the night and decorate your stony, dull prison with the vibrant cheer of Christmas!"  
Lord Cryaotic smiled, bowed slightly, and vanished in the blink of an eye in a small flash of blue light.  
Lord Markiplier clapped at the show, knowing that Cry was probably still in the castle, watching them.  
"Be quiet you, or you'll be celebrating Christmas by losing your position!" Minx snapped, her magic causing a small crack of thunder in the distance, creating total silence.  
Lord Markiplier took a breath to calm himself down, before getting up slowly and placing his paperwork on the completed pile on the other side of the room.  
"Um...Your Majesty...I have a request."  
"Let me guess. I suppose you want the whole of tomorrow off, is that it?"  
Lord Mark gulped at the icy tone of his Queen. He had to tread lightly here. She would let Lord Cryaotic's remarks slide, but if he said a single wrong word, his head would be rolling along the floor in an instant.  
"Y-yes, if its quite convenient-"  
"That it isn't. What if someone attempts to kill me? But I suppose you must have it. Be here all the earlier tomorrow...or god save your soul..."  
Minx grumbled as Mark packed up his things, stumbling out his thanks as he practically ran out of the castle into the bright sunshine and colours that lay beyond.  
A stony silence formed, only to be shattered again a few moments later. The brass door opened again with a loud groan.  
_Who is it now?_  
Lord Ken entered the room she was currently in, carrying a box with a picture of a smiling Sup Guy spirit rendered into it.  
Lord Ken was a reporter for Toasty News, and well known around Victubia. He used to do missions for the Queen, along with Lord Cry, but hadn't heard from her in years.  
"Hello, Your Majesty. I understand that Lady Krism used to donate to this charity when she was alive...so I'm sure you will continue in her fair ways. As I'm sure you're aware, the Sup Guy spirits are well known for being rare throughout the world...except for Victubia. And yet, despite this, they are starving and abandoned by society. We are collecting donations for food and shelter for these spirits. What shall I put you down for?"  
Lord Ken took a clipboard out of the box, looking up at Queen Minx.  
"Nothing."  
"You wish to remain anonymous?"  
"I wish to be left alone!"  
Another growl of thunder roared outside as Ken took a step back.  
"But they are-"  
"They are ghosts, are they not?"  
"Y-yes, but-"  
"Then they are dead, are they not?"  
"This is true, but your point is-"  
"My point, _sir_, is that as they are dead, they no longer require my resources. They do not require food. They do not require warmth. Is that not so?" Minx smiled a harsh smile at the terrified Ken, who was searching for some sort of escape from the room.  
"Yes, but the Sup spirits envy life. They are naïve and mischievous, and want to experience life in any way they can. Not being able to makes them sad. Its unfair."  
"Life's unfair. If it makes them sad, they should leave and infect someplace else. It would make my life easier." Minx turned back to the table piled high with paperwork.  
"G-goodbye, Your Majesty..."  
Ken backed out of the room, a confused stare on his face as he left the Queen alone in the dark, in silence.

Later that evening, Minx retired back into her dark, damp bedroom. Cobwebs clung to the walls and corners, and dust coated the shelves and tables. The colours of the velvet duvet had faded, along with everything else in the castle.  
The Queen no longer slept, instead choosing to stay awake and think during the long winter nights. It was easier that way, although Minx had long forgotten why. The routine made her happy, and wasn't that enough?  
A bright, red light began to glow in one of the abandoned corners on the room, causing Minx to be almost blinded by its intensity. She had lived in darkness for years, it was cheap.  
The aura of light began to move closer to her, getting faster and faster until stopping directly in front of her face.  
"Get away from me! What do you want?" Queen Minx wondered about whether it was caused by magic, coming to steal her treasures.  
"I have much to do with you."  
The light spoke, and the brightness began to fade, becoming a more pleasant glow. It wasn't magic, that was all she knew.  
"Who are you?"  
"You should ask who I _was._"  
Minx gulped before continuing. A spirit was in her castle, talking to her. Fear consumed her; there were many stories about people who were snatched away in the dark of night by vengeful spirits.  
"Fine...who were you?"  
"I am surprised you haven't recognised me. Am I really that...different..."  
The light almost faded completely, revealing a body. It was ensnared in chains, only just managing to levitate off of the ground.  
And Queen Minx instantly knew the body that was in agony in front of her. The hair was grey, and the famous crimson eye was glazed, but the face was painfully lifelike.  
Lady Krism.  
"I have come to warn you, my love. I cannot rest, I cannot linger anywhere."  
Her voice was filled with sorrow, as if she was trying desperately not to cry. Minx attempted to touch the saddened spirit in front of her, but she felt only air in her grasp.  
"I wear the chain I forged in life. I made it link by link, yard by yard. How long do you think your own chain spans?"  
"But you were a lady of business! You cannot be damned to walk the earth for eternity! I need you...we all do..."  
"Charity and kindness should have been my business! Instead, I was a fool..."  
A pause occurred while Krism attempted to hold herself together.  
"My time is brief...it is too late for me. But I must save you from my fate. Three spirits will arrive at midnight for three days, beginning tonight. Be prepared at the stroke of 12...without them you cannot hope to be safe."  
She smiled, coming closer to Queen Minx, despite the tears in her eyes. It was a bittersweet smile, which became more painful as she vanished with a whisper.  
"Look to see me no more.."


	3. Chapter 3: Shadows of Events Long Past

Queen Minx lay in her cold, dreary bedroom, idly watching the clock's hands move towards the hour at a slow, stumbling pace. Her thoughts spiralled out of control, slipping from her encounter with Lady Krism to the cryptic message she had tried to tell her.  
Nevertheless, the time crept along at its usual stalking pace, until the fateful hour described by Krism took its place, bells announcing its arrival with their low groans.  
Queen Minx smiled, a loud sigh echoing around the darkness of her bedroom. The hour was at hand, and no spirit or ghostly apparitions had appeared. Her partner's ghost, or whatever she had seen, must had been a figment of her imagination.  
Or so she thought.  
A small, silver orb of light gently formed in the middle of the room, swaying from side to side slightly with grace. Its effect was hypnotic almost as the glow expanded, creating a figure surrounded by an aura of pale white.  
It was Lady Marzia, a designer from Victubia. She was well known for her kindness and trend-setting, as well as her love for pugs.  
Softly, she glided over to Queen Minx and smiled, but was met with an angry stare.  
"How dare you disturb my chamber at this time of night! Lady Marzia, I order you to return home and refrain from this foolishness."  
Minx almost snapped at the lady, who was slowly floating backwards.  
"I am the Spirit of Christmas Past. I have taken on a form that you would recognise, one that reflects my kindness."  
The voice rang out like a gently ringing bell as the light around her body seemed to flutter from one part to another. Queen Minx was forced to shelter her eyes from its brightness in the contrast of her dark and dreary room.  
"I must command that you extinguish that light, Spirit, and leave me in peace!" Minx spat, closing her eyes in desperation to get the ghost to vanish.  
When nothing happened, she sighed, and turned to face Lady Marzia again.  
"Come along Your Majesty, we have much to see. Rise, and walk with me!"  
The Queen slowly rose from her bed, and then the Spirit's soft light enveloped them both, warmth wrapping around them as they flew across the night, soaring above the houses and lights of the city as they vanished into the darkness of the sky.

When the world stopped tumbling and twirling around her, Queen Minx noticed that she was now standing outside a very familiar building, one that she'd thought she'd never see again. The black gate remained polished to the highest level, and the grand palace of a boarding school that lay beyond was surrounded by luxurious gardens. Children ran about through the flowers, playing games and laughing.  
"Why...I spent every moment of my early life in this place...there's Krism! And Lady Ziegs! We were the best of friends!" Minx smiled at the Spirit, walking towards Ziegs and calling out.  
"They are only fragments of your past. They cannot see or hear us."  
The children's laughing and farewells filled the air. Many were leaving for Christmas, spending time with their families.  
Lady Krism remained behind after the crowds disappeared through the gate. She turned to face a child who was staring out of the window, and went inside the building.  
Lady Marzia ushered her inside the building, following the young Krism as she made her way up the various staircases and corridors to the room where a lonesome child remained, reading a book.  
"My father resented me, as he wanted a son. He sent me here for my education, so that he wouldn't have to speak to me, and made Krism my advisor from birth." Queen Minx spoke sadly, as she saw who was left alone inside that isolated room. The child was never allowed to go home for Christmas, instead being forced to learn more about her duties as a ruler with only Krism for company.  
The young Minx sighed sadly as Krism entered the room, and set a heavy-looking book down on the desk.  
"I believe I have some good news for you, my lady." Krism smiled, sitting down on a chair next to Minx.  
"What is it?"  
"Well, your father is much kinder than he used to be, and is allowing you to return to Victubia. You will continue your studies with a more qualified tutor there, and I will learn about my place by your side. We'll all be together for Christmas first, however. What do you think?" Krism waited for Minx's response, somewhat anxious to leave the school. Minx was silent, and the world began to slow to a halt as Lady Marzia took hold of the Queen's hand and whispered.  
"Although Lady Krism died a young woman, you do still have some friends, if I am correct."  
"You are, Spirit. A single friend, I believe, is left in Lord Cry."  
The Spirit of Christmas Past was silent again, letting a pause fill the air as she thought about something, before snapping her fingers and letting the light whisk them away to another place in a different time, much to the displeasure of Queen Minx.

Loud cheering and music echoed around the ballroom as dancing couples glided along the floor. Many were dressed smartly, in their best dresses and suits, as colours flew around the room.  
Queen Minx almost gasped to see her old tutor, Lord Rivus, alive again with his face obscured with that mask of his, as he was a part of Lord Cry's bloodline, standing on the stage with the musicians. The music stopped as a bell rang out, making the crowd grow quiet as the man spoke in that strangely metallic voice of his.  
_"It-is-with-great-pleasure-that-I-welcome-you-to-our-celebrations! A-toast-to-the-King-and-our-future-ruler!"_  
With that, a chant of praises went up, and the upbeat music resumed. Lord Rivus laughed, electric blue eyes peeping out from behind his mechanical mask, turning his attention to someone in the crowd, before glowing and appearing beside a more grown-up looking Minx. She seemed saddened, her purple streak in her hair glowing with unrestrained magic.  
_"My-lady, it-is-Christmas-Eve! Will-you-not-be-merry?"_  
He tilted his head with a knowing stance, instantly causing the girl to smile as she was pulled to her feet.  
Queen Minx smiled as she approached the scene, Lady Marzia in tow.  
"Lord Rivus, as he was known, had the power to make us happy or unhappy. He had a charm about him that made you forget about what he was and appreciate his presence..." The Queen trailed off, losing her path of thought suddenly as Lord Markiplier came into her mind, and the misery on his face as he worked. She didn't remember saying a good word to him ever, never repaying him for the good work he did for her, despite the onslaught of insults she gave him in return.  
Lady Marzia saw the emotional turmoil on Minx's face and let her be. Instead, she slowly turned her to see the person who had just entered the room, accompanied by Lady Krism. She recognised the figure, the lady who was dressed in dark green with the long light pink hair that draped down her back.  
Oh, she recognised this person all too well, as the painful memories rushed through her head upon laying eyes on her, someone she'd forgotten along her way.  
"I knew this woman once...we were to be engaged and then married..."  
Before she finished her sentence, the light consumed the scene of the party in front of Queen Minx, and took her away to a place she'd hoped she'd never see again.

A small, wooden bench sat in a clearing of a forest, isolated from the noise of the city streets and the people. Here, there was only the gentle rusting of the autumn leaves in the cool breeze, the scampering of woodland creatures in the distance and the soft songs of the birds singing high up in the branches of the grand trees.  
The sky was a burnt amber, with fiery streams of red streaking across the surface. There were no clouds floating in the sunset above.  
Upon the bench sat two people, the younger version of Minx, and the lady from before. The lady appeared to be extremely nervous and depressed, as she stared out upon the setting sun, not wanting to look Minx in the eye.  
Finally, gathering the courage to speak, she faced her and sighed.  
"I...I know love means very little to you, along with what I am about to say, for I have seen your illusion of happiness and kindness fall away piece by piece, shard by shard, until nothing is left but your cold, lifeless heart-"  
"Even if I have become more...distant this past year, it is because I am preparing to rule this country, and my role as Queen. My feelings towards you have not changed-."  
Minx was interrupted by the girl's laughter at the sentence. She glared at her, causing the laughter to grow as she finally managed to calm down enough to continue.  
"Truly, you are a bad liar, my lady. Pray tell, what are these 'lessons' about? Our promise to one another is but an old one, one that was made before this idiotic 'lessons' came and made you into a cold and unfeeling stranger. So, answer me this. Would you still attempt to win my heart now, after your preparation?"  
A silence settled over the area, eliminating all of the natural noises from the forest as she slowly got up and left.  
"You may feel sad now, Lady Minx, but I have no doubt that you will forget me very soon...so may you be happy in the life you have chosen."  
And with that, she disappeared from view with a sad smile.  
Queen Minx felt a tear roll down her cheek as she saw the girl vanish into the woods, never to be seen again. She sat down next to her younger self on the bench and sighed.  
"Spirit...please, conduct me home. Why do you enjoy torturing me in this way?" She cried, unable to look Lady Marzia in the face as she thought about the memories she'd locked away.  
Lady Marzia glided next to the weeping woman, and motioned towards the younger Minx on the other side of the bench.  
"I told you this at the beginning, for these are but fragments of your memories. They are what they are, and cannot be changed, so do not blame me." Her voice was soft, calming, as if comforting a child. She held out a hand to the Queen, but was rejected.  
"P-Please...I beg you to take me away from this accursed place! I can bear it no longer! Kind Spirit, haunt me no longer!" Minx begged, crying floods of tears as the vision of Lady Marzia vanished, leaving her alone in her bedroom once more.


End file.
